Join the team in the south of the Kruger National Park near Pretoriuskop, where a bush camp is nestled between the impressive granite outcrops of the area. It is here in the 6500 hectare concession with in the Kruger that you will assist the staff and researchers with various tasks to do with the ongoing conservation research projects and practical game reserve management. While going about your tasks you will have continous training in the field, learning about all things big and small. The area has a high density of game with sightings of the endagered wild dog and cheetah not uncommon, as well as many other exciting animals such as  elephant, giraffe, rhino, lion, leopard and hyena…

Course over view:

The volunteer program runs on a four week cycle, with the option for additional cycles up to maximum of 12 weeks. The cycles begin on the first Monday of every month. Included in your fee is: Project placement and management fee; return airport transfers; accommodation; 3 meals a day; full time staff to supervise volunteers; all game drives and game walks, and all training manuals.

Accommodation:
You will be accommodated at Nzikasi Wilderness Camp within the greater Kruger Park. The camp consists of dome tents equiped with beds, mattresses and  bedding, but volunteers need to bring their own sleeping bag for possible camping trips. There is cold and hot running water and limited electricity from solar panels. There are great views of the surrouding hills, with a main lounge and a serviced bar.

Volunteers should have a love of nature and wildlife, with a genuine desire to make a difference in conservation. Accommodation is rustic but comfortable, with limited social activities therefore not suitable for people who like to be near big cities etc. This experience is about learning the challenges and rewards of living out in the wilderness.

Description of volunteer work:

On arrival the volunteer will complete a 3 day introductory period where they will learn more about the operations and the reserve management practices. During this time volunteers will do basic first aid and be assessed in terms of skills and where they can be most helpful. A fine balance between wildlife and non-wildlife tasks will be kept and volunteers should be flexible in this regard. Tasks such as erosion control, bush clearing and other labour intensive activities all help towards conserving the environment.

There are four major components to the course, the first is initial orientation. This allows the volunteer to acclimatize, understand park regulations, concession rules, camp life and become more comfortable in their new environment. The second is bush craft training, where the volunteer learns about the animals, birds, reptile and trees around them. As well as spoor identification, tracking and animal behaviour. The rest of the time is divided between the conservation research projects and the pratical game reserve management, where the volunteers  assist the field staff in all tasks related to these two components. Full training is provided in respect to data capture and research methods.

Lastly here are some of the activities the volunteer can expect to partake in: Patrol of border fences; road maintenance and disaster management; animal counts and monitoring of species that influence the carrying capacity of the concession (elephant, rhino, buffalo) and the volunteers will join a commercial game drive once every 2 weeks to enjoy a full day of game viewing in the more northern sections of the park.

4 week volunteer program = $ 1580.00 and an additional 4 weeks = $ 1140.00